The provision of ornamental ponds and aquatic gardens is a multi-million dollar industry. Likewise, the maintenance of such ponds is also a multimillion dollar industry. Numerous variations on pond set up exist, however, it is common to utilize pumps and artificial filter material to establish a water flow in the pond and filter the water to maintain a life sustaining level of clarity and an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the pond. Some pond developers have suggested using natural filter material such as gravel or rock in the bottom of such ornamental ponds, however, such usage requires significant labor when the gravel bed becomes loaded and needs to be cleaned. What is needed is a perpetual system requiring minimal cleaning and replacement of filtration materials.